Nov. 15, 2012

Written by

@dpwillis732

The state’s consumer affairs agency has sent a warning message to residents about to start repairing their homes following superstorm Sandy.

The message – to avoid home repair scams – came with a $2,500 penalty given to 10 unregistered home improvement contractors, the state Attorney General’s Office said.

The contractors were snagged through the state Division of Consumer Affairs’ “Undercover House” operation, conducted before Sandy hit.

State Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said it shows that consumers should check the credentials of any contractor they consider hiring.

“New Jerseyans whose homes were damaged by Sandy should be on alert,” Chiesa said in a news release. “Now is the time when fly-by-night, unregistered contractors will descend on storm-damaged areas, seeking to make a quick profit at the expense of homeowners.”

Consumers can call the consumer affairs division at 800-242-5846 to learn whether a contractor has a current, valid state registration, and to learn whether the contractor has been the subject of consumer complaints.

“If you don’t do your homework and hire a registered contractor with a good track record, you may spend thousands of dollars on a project, only to find yourself stuck with substandard, shoddy and unsafe work,” Chiesa said.

In the undercover operation in Mercer County this past summer, investigators posed as consumers and booked unregistered contractors, some of whom had advertisements on Craigslist and home-improvement guide publications that are located in grocery and convenience stores.

The contractors made estimates ranging from $2,500 to $50,000 for repairs such as painting, flooring, roofing, Sheetrock work and masonry work, authorities said.

“One of the contractors showed up without a tape measure, ruler, meter or any measuring device, and without even a notebook – and then made an estimate of $50,000, apparently based on what the investigators said they could afford,” Eric T. Kanefsky, acting director of the division of consumer affairs, said in a news release.

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According to authorities, the following contractors received notices of violation, each including a $2,500 fine. Some companies are now registered.

• AA Construction, Piscataway.

• Amidas Painting and Construction, LLC., Chesterfield. The company had a lapsed registration and is now actively registered to perform home improvement work in New Jersey, the state said.